Some 800 other state employees aren't so lucky, having lost their jobs Friday to the first sizable state layoff since the 1990s -- reductions that come just as the new administration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo arrives in office.

The precise number of state workers who are now unemployed isn't clear, since some were eligible for retirement and took it rather than a forced layoff.

The imposition of layoffs -- which hit state offices across New York -- wasn't obvious in the state complex Friday.

Many of those to be laid off appeared to be gone, with some taking unused sick days.

But the number of people like Munn -- those who are being displaced, taking pay cuts and facing the prospect of moving across the state in order to stay employed -- could number in the thousands.

"They talk about 800 layoffs, but they don't talk about the cascading effects," said Munn, whose pay will likely drop from approximately $84,000 to $69,000.

While he is displacing another chemist who is losing his job, Munn is also being bumped by another DEC chemist with six months more experience.

The layoffs were ordered earlier in the year by former Gov. David Paterson as part of an effort to save $250 million in state employee costs.

Paterson maintained that state employee unions rebuffed his proposals for givebacks such as "lag" pay.

State worker unions have said their pay is already "lagged" -- that is, their initial paychecks are deferred until they leave their jobs, and that the governor ignored their savings suggestions, such as cutting back on consultants or managers.

About 137,000 people work in state agencies under the governor's control, so the layoffs account for less than 1 percent.

The layoffs have created much turmoil, especially given the uncertainty surrounding what Cuomo will do given the $9 billion budget deficit looming in the new fiscal year starting April 1.

"My boss keeps telling me we're just going to have to suck it up," one Department of Health employee said of the cuts in her unit, which were eased in part by eliminating one job held by someone eligible to retire.

While carried out in reverse order of seniority, layoffs were configured by specific job titles. This gave managers considerable leeway in deciding which jobs were the most expendable.

Even then, the Byzantine system of seniority and bumping has led to situations like Munn's, with a ripple effect causing people to uproot their lives -- and potentially throwing some state functions into disarray.

Munn has spent much of the last two decades analyzing things such as pesticide samples to make sure people aren't using banned or inappropriate chemicals to kill pests such as bed bugs (such functions don't generate revenue and therefore may have been more vulnerable to cuts).

Some of that monitoring may go undone or be sent out to private labs.

For now, Munn will have to learn how to monitor landfills for environmental safety -- something his chemistry background allows, but which will take some training.

He considered leaving the state work force, but his job is highly specialized and he has another three and a half years before he can retire without a penalty.

With his wife also employed by the state in Albany and two grown children in the area, he figures he'll be a long-distance commuter until retirement time.

Those who are being put out of work -- "streeted," in civil service parlance -- are eligible for unemployment insurance (along with 558,000 other New Yorkers) and they'll be able to keep themselves and their families on the state health insurance plan for a year.

"The first thing you should do is file for unemployment benefits. On Day Two, come to our one-stop career centers," Department of Labor spokesman Leo Rosales said.

While competition for jobs is ferocious, he said "there are still companies that are hiring."

Reach Karlin at 454-5758 or rkarlin@timesunion.com.

For information on job openings, check the Department of Labor's information page